Cable splicing tool



June 27, 1933. C. S. OLSON ET AL l;915,691

CABLE SPLICING TOOLl Filed Feb. 13, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 [Lo/v J. BEAD/@Ar June 27, 1933. C. S. OLSON ET AL 1,915,691

CABLE SPLICING TOOL Filed Feb. 13|, '1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bit) 'therein then being Patented .lune 27, 1933 UNITE- D STATES Y 1,915,691 v'F.ATENT *orifice GEARLESS. OLSON, or DULUTH, MINNESOTA, AND E'LoN J. Dn'niennor KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI f CABLE semaine Toor.

Application filed February 13, 1932. Serial No. 592,812.

This invention relates to cable splicing tools,l `and more particularly Vto so called sleeve twisters, or devices adapted to be employed in connection with cable splicing sleeves,v or the like. 'lhe present invention provides certain improvements in the devices set forth in the patentto Charles S. Orson, No. 1,541,065, June 9, 1925 and the patent to Elon J. De Right No. 1,847,473, March 1, 1932; the present invention including certain structural improvements in adf dition to those shown and claimed separately inthe Said patents.

l(,)ne commonly employed method of uniting a pair Vof cables is to twist the ends to gether asv they are held in overlapping parallel adj acence. This style of cable splice has been greatly improved by vthe application of a sleeve member overvthe lapped cable ends, the sleeve, and cable portions contained twisted in the usual manner. Many proven advantageshave resulted from the use ofy the cable sleeve, which, in its usual form, consists of an elongated meta-l tube or thimble, designed snugly to encase the paired cable ends. Since the best results are obtained by using a sleeve member which fits closely over the lapped cables,v sleeve members are available in various sizes to ac# provision of an improved panying drawings, Fig.

commodate all cables ofl standard dimension. One objectof the present invention isto pro-A vide a sleeve twisting tool which is adapted, by the provision of a plurality of interchangeable sleeve engaging members or die blocks,.to be employedin connection with sleeves of varioussizes.. v

Another object vof the invention lies in the ratchet arrangement enabling the tool to be used in restricted quarters.

Another object is thel provision of .a ratchet-type Sleeve twister designed for .application laterally of a cable containing Sleeve, or the cable ends, and vyet which is so constructed as to enable a ratchet actuation of cable receivingl elements, whenin any angular position relative to the actuating members of the device. j

Other objects and advantages are realized by the provision of 4certain structural features which render the device admirably suited for its intendedpurpose, and will appearv in the followingl description and accomview of a preferred embodiment of my in- 1 of which is aplan.

vention, one of the actuating handles being Shown in section; Fig. 2'shows a portion of the device of Fig. l, viewed from site side and' drawn to fa larger scale; Figs. 3 andA l are sectional views taken along lines 2.5.-3 and @-4, respectively, of Fig.' 2'; Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the clamping assembly, the section being taken at right angles to the axes of the cables shown and liig. o is a sectional view taken along the line 6-,6 of llig. 5.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, our improved sleevevtwister includes a relatively fiat body member V6 which is provided from opposite ends thereof. The studs'are adapted to serve ashandles, for turning the device andtwisting the cables to be joined, with or vwithout a sleeve d'spo'sed thereon. lVhere a turning force is required greater than that'which canbe conveniently applied by direct manipulation of the studs, eXtension members 8 ai'eapplied to the studs and secured thereto, preferably by means lof threads, asbest appears in Fig. l. By making the extensionA handles removable, the device may be stored or carriedin a more con ven-ien't forni. l v Mounted adjacent one side'k of the body member o, is a clamping assembly, which includes a pair ofjaw members 9 and 10, the. jaw 9 serving as a base for carrying the-co-v acting. jaw l0. The clampingassembly, to be hereinafter desoribed in detail, is ymounted on a hub member 11, for rotation, vunder cir.-V

cumstances presently appearing, relative to the body member. The hub member, which has substantial' throat opening infone side Y thereof, is journalled in a laterally open,

circular recess in the body member. An annular flange 12, (Fig. 6) on the side of the hub adjacent the yclamping assembly, and a removable face plate 13 at the opposite'` side, serve to maintain the position of the hub within the body member 6. A A y For purposes of' enabling a cable sleeve to be twisted without requiring a full turn of the driving portions of the tool,l a ratchet mechanismv is 'provided consisting, in the present example, of two pawls, or plungers 14 and 15', each'of which is arranged for ratchet engagementY with the hub member. The hub member is provided-with a series of'peripheral `recesses or -notches' 25, 'for seating the innerends of the pl'ungers. The plungers 14 the oppof disposed therein,

with studs i' projecting and 15 are disposed in suitable body recesses located preferably at diametrically opposite sides of the hub member, for movement at a substantial angle to the radii drawn through the points of their engagement with the hub member. Springs 16 and 17, associated with the plungers 14 and 15, respectively, are adapted to bias the plungers toward ub engaging position. Obviously, the provision of two pawls, or plungers, permits of ratchet action during a full turn of the hub relative to the body member, a result which would not be obtained if only one pawl were provided, by reason of the throat opening in the huby member. Y

As best appears in Fig. 3, the plunger 14 is provided with a shaft 18 which extends through the side of the body 6 for engagement with a manipulating member, such as the milled head 19. Projecting from the inner face of the head 19 are a pair of pins 20, which are normally seated within recesses in the side of the body. The pins 20 are of sufiicient length to hold the plungerl out of engagement withthe hub when the plunger is retracted and turned so as to cause the ends of the pins to bear against the side of the body member. While identical means may be provided for manipulating th-e plunger 15, l prefer that this member shall remain in hub engaging position except when forced outwardly and held by an operator in retracted position. With this in view, a threaded plug 211s provided for closing the recess formed in the side of the body member for the plunger 15. The spring 17 is compressed between the plug 21 and the end of the plunger. Manual actuation of the plunger may be effected through a slide 22 disposed for movement on the face of the body member'. rlChe slide 22 is operatively connected to the plunger by means of a stud 23 which projects through a slot 24 in 4the face of the body. One end of the slide is preferably turned outwardly to facilitate its engagement by the thumb of the operator.

Turning now to a description of the clamping assembly, previously mentioned, the aws 9 and 10 extend across one face of the body member, and are arranged to meet in a plane which passes through the transverse axis of the tool, and at a right angle to the yfaces thereof. The jaw, or base 9, by preference, is formed integrally with the hub member 11, and the jaw 10 is swingably mounted on the jaw 9. For this purpose a laterally projecting lug 25 is provided atone end of the jaw 9, which lug extends into a bifurcated end of the jaw 10 where it is pivotally engaged by a` pintle 26, extending between the furcations 27. The opposite ends of the jaws 9 and 10 are provided with end recesses 28 and 29 formed between furcations, which recesses are arranged to register when the jaws are in closed posi-tion. A clamping bolt 30 is swingably mounted in the recess 28 by means of a pin 31 which extends across this recess and through the head 32 of the clamping bolt 30. The bolt 30 is adapted to be swung into and out of the recess 29 and carries a handled nut 33 on its threaded shank for engaging the outer face of the jaw 10.

The broken line drawing of the clamping bolt and handled nut, shown in Fig. 5, illustrates a position in which these members may be disposed to permit the jaws to be separated. rlhe bolt is adapted to be temporarily re'- tained in this position by means of a spring element 34, secured to the jaw 9 as by means of a screw35. This spring engages a flattened portion 36 of the otherwise rounded surface of the bolt head when the bolt is in the position last referred to. The purpose of the element 34 is to restrict free movement of the bolt and to maintain the bolt and handled nut in such position, when the jaws are separated, that they will not interfere with the cables when the tool is being applied or removed therefrom. A companion flattened portion serves, with the spring, to position the bolt 30 when in jaw clamping relation.

Each tool, by preference, is supplied with several interchangeable sets lof die blocks 37, which enable the tool to be used for splicing cables of various sizes. The dies are adapted to be removably positioned in dovetail recesses in the inner or mating faces of the jaws 9 and 10. The dies, preferably of trapezoidal section as appears in Fig. 5, may be secured within the recesses as by means of screws 38, arranged to urge the die blocks into wedging engagement with the jaws, between the inclined sides of the recesses.

Transversely disposed in each of the opposing faces of the die blocks 37, are a pair of conjoined grooves 39, conforming to the cables contained in the sleeve, the common wall 40 of the adjacent grooves being preferably provided with a sleeve-crimping edge, rounded to prevent cutting- 'he sleeve upon crimping action of the die assembly thereon.

To effect a splice between a pair of cables,

the ends of which have been positioned within a splicing sleeve, the tool, with the hub member turned so as to present a lateral opening for the introduction of the cablesand with the jaw portions in relatively open position, is applied to the sleeve near one end thereof. he jaws are closed about the sleeve and cables and brought into clamping engagement therewith by means of the handled nut 38. That'portion of the sleeve between the jaws is crimped, as appears in Figs. 5 and 6, so as tightly to grip the cables.l The usual practice is to use the tools in pairs, one thereof serving to hold the sleeve while it is being twisted by the other.

he foregoing description deals with a single preferred embodiment of my invention andis to be understood in a descriptive and and means fo-r pressing except as defined by the 'said hinged member having its free end bifur- Y cated, said base member having a recess adjacent to the free end of the hinged member, a swingable member mounted in said recess for receptive movement in said bifurcated end, a spring tending to position said swingable member in predetermined relations to the base member, a handled member threaded to said swingable member for pressing engagement with said hinged member, a hub portion extended from said base member, a journal for said hub, a ratchet connection between the hub and journal, and oppositely extended handles on said journal.

2. In a cable-splicing tool, a pair of clamping jaws including a base ymember and a hinged member pivoted to the base. member, a clamping device swingable relative to the base member for releasable clamping engagement with said hinged member, a notched hub extended laterally of the base member, a

centrally apertured body member in journalling engagement with the hub, oppositely disposed ratchets carried by the body, and coacting with the notches on said hub, oppositely disposed handle members endwise presented from said body member, a handle eX- tension member threadedly sleeved on each of said handle members, and ing sleeve-receiving die-assembly removably associated with said clamping jaws, the jaws and die assembly being formed to position the die assembly in self-supporting relation in the said jaws.

3. In a cable-splicing tool adapted for engagement with a cable-splicing sleeve and its dier contained cables, a sleeve receiving assembly including a peripherally notched hub portion, member having site ends, andl disposed in journalling rela'- tion to said hub portion, a pair of spring` pressed ratchets carried by the body member and engaging the notched hub portion at substantially opposite points, a jaw carrie by said hub portion, a second-jaw mounted for swinging movement on said first jaw, a pair of die-blocks 'carried by said jaws and arranged so as to be registrable for coacting opposition on said sleeve, blocks having a pair of conjoined grooves Conforming to the cables contained in said sleeve, the conjoined wall of adjacent grooves beingadapted to contact theadjacent wall of said sleeve for crimping action thereupon, said jaws and die blocks into crimping engagement with a *cable sleeve.

a cable-containy a centrally apertured body handles formed on its oppo-` d opposite end of the hub, means each of said die- 4. In a cable-splicing tool vadapted for en-V gagement with a cable-splicing sleeve and its contained cables, Va sleeve receiving dieassembly including a pair of die-blocks registrable for coacting opposition on said sleeve, each of said die-blocks having a pair of conjoined grooves conforming to the cables contained in said sleeve, the common wall .of adjacent vgrooves being adapted to contact the adjacent wall of said sleeve for crimping action thereupon, pressing'means removably receiving said die-assembly for clamping action l thereupon, said pressing means'comprising a pair of clamping jaws including a base member and a hinged member pivoted to the base member, a clamping device swingable relative to the base member for releasable clamping engagement with said hinged member, a spring coacting with the clamping device and tending to position it in predetermined relation to the base member, a hub having peripheral notches, and servingas a mounting for the base member, a body member receiving the hub in journalling relation, the hub and body member into register to receive a cable sleeve, d1-

ametrically opposed ratchet members carried by the body and each adapted to engage the notches on the hub, oppositely disposed handle members endwise presented from said. body member, a handle extension member threadedly sleeved on each of said handle members, said clamping aws having in each of their opposing` faces a transverse dove,- tailed slot, said die-blocks each having included shouldersv adapted for slidable insertion in said slots, and fastening elements assed through each of said clamping jaws and threaded to the respective die-blocks.

5. A cable splicing tool of the class described, having a body vportion provided with a laterally open, central aperture having a stepped inner periphery, a hub portion provided with external notches and peripherally formed of stepped vdiameter and arranged rotatably to register with the stepped periphery ofthe body aperture, a removab e hubsecuring plate at the outervend of thehub, an assembly of clamping jaws carried by the for clampingly actuating said jaws independently of movement of the hub, cable-receiving dies, carried in mortised relation by said jaws, a pair of spring-pressed pawls mounted within the head iny coacting relation with the notches on said hub portion, means for manually actuating each of said pawls, and a pair of handles on said body portion, extended in opposite directions therefrom at points kadj acent said pawls.

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